Water ski rope reel



g- 13, 1963 c. L. NICHOLSON 3,100,606

WATER SKI ROPE REEL Filed Jan. 5, 1961 A Tforneys United States Patent ice 3,100,666 WATER SKI ROPE REEL Clifton L. Nicholson, RR. 4, Scottsburg, Ind. Filed Jan. 5, 1% Ser. No. 80,945 Claims. (Ci. 24286.5)

. The present invention relates to water skiing and to a reel arrangement finding important utility in reeling and unreeling water ski tow ropes.

There is no device presently in common use for reeling in the tow rope of a water skier. The usual method of handling such tow ropes is to attach them to the transom of the boat and to manually haul in the ropes either in hand over hand or hand over arm fashion. This conventional method is slow and almost impossible to perform without tangling and knotting of the ski line. The problem of tangling and knotting lines is especially acute when more than one tow rope is used on a single boat.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a reel arrangement particularly adapted for use in reeling water ski tow ropes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved reel arrangement for Water ski tow ropes including means for quickly and easily adjusting the length of one or more of the tow ropes with respect to the other or others thereof in order to permit crisscross ing of the water skiers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a completely power operated reel arrangement for use with water ski tow ropes.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

One embodiment of the present invention compiises a reel arrangement including a plurality of rotat-ably mounted reels. There is also provided reversible power means for rotating the reels and means for selectively connecting any number of the reels to the power means. The reel arrangement further includes means for automatically disconnecting the power means and any respective reel upon completion of winding of the respective reel.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a boat equipped with the reel arrangement of the present invention and showing it in operation pulling a water skier.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the reel arrangement of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged horizontal section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the reel in another operating position wherein the reel is connected to the power means.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail perspective View of a latching arrangement for locating the reel in either the position of FIG. 4 or the position of FIG. 5.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless he understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

3 ,ld0,606 Patented Aug. 13, 1963 Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a boat 10 having the reel arrangement 11 of the present invention mounted on the rear or transom thereof. It should be mentioned that the reel arrangement 11 may be mounted in any desired position in or on the boat if certain modifications described below are made. One very appropriate location, however, especially of the particular device hereinafter described, is at the rear of the boat as illustrated.

The arrangement 11 includes a base 12 made up of suitable plates and bars. Mounted upon the upper surface of the base 12 is a reversible electric motor 13 which is connected in conventional manner to an electric power source (not shown) through a suitable reversible switch (not shown). The drive shaft 14 of the motor 13 is connected through suitable pulleys 15 and belt 16 to 'a worm gear 17 rotatably mounted upon the base 12 and retained against axial movement with respect thereto by blocks 19 fixed to and forming a part of the base 12. The worm gear 17 is positioned to drive a worm wheel 13 keyed to a shaft 21 which is rotatably mounted upon the base 12. At the ends of the shaft 21, there are fixed spur gears 22. It can be appreciated from the above that the reversible motor 13 is arranged to positively drive the spur gears 22 in one direction or in the reverse direction. It should be mentioned that the parallel plates 23 of the base limit the axial movement of the shaft 21 through the worm wheel 18 whereby the gears 22 are maintained in the same axial position.

Fixed to and forming a part of the base 12 is a horizontal, cylindrical element or shaft 25 which provides a pivotal mounting for four gear-supporting elements 26. Cotter pins or the like (not shown) are inserted at suitable locations along the length of the shaft 25 to prevent undesired traveling of the elements 26 axially along the shaft 25. Each pair of elements 26 fixedly receives an axle 27 which may be fixed in place, for example, by cotter pins extending through the elements 26 and the axles 27. R'otatably mounted upon each of the .axles 27 is a reel 30, the reel being maintained in a desired central location between the elements 26 by means of spacers 31 and 32. Between the spacers 32, there is provided, for each reel, a spur gear 35 which is fixed against rotation with relation to its reel and is positioned to mesh with a respective one of the spur gears 22 upon pivoting of the gear-supporting elements 26 toward the gears 22. As shown, the spacer 31 may comprise a compression spring which will function as a mild brake for each of the reels preventing undesired free spinning thereof.

A pair of springs 36 is received upon the shaft 25, each of the springs 36 functioning to maintain a respective one of the gears 35 out of meshing engagement with its associated gear 22. Each spring 36 is anchored at one end by a pin 37 extending through the shaft 25 and is in engagement at its other end with one of the reel-supporting members 26. It can be appreciated that the springs 36 act to urge the outermost reel-supporting elements rightwardly as viewed in FIG. 3.

Extending through each pair of reel-supporting members 26 is a latch mounting shaft 40 which is pinned at its opposite ends in position by suitable cotter pins 41. Each ofthe shafts 40 has welded thereto a latching element 42 which is urged in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5 by means of a coil spring 42A and whichis formed adjacent one end thereof with a pair of limiting surfaces 45 and 46. A further portion of the latching arrangement includes a generally J-shaped element 47 which is fixed to an angle 50 fixed to and making up a part of the base 12.

Referring particularly to FIG. 4, a respective one of the reels 30 is shown in its counterclockwise pivoted position 7 V the angle 50 as shown;

1 Referring to FIG. 5, the reel 30 may be pivoted to a position wherein the gears 35 and 22 are in meshing relation and the surface 46 will engage the surface of the J-shaped element 47 to retain the gears in such meshing relation. Obviously, the slot 51 in the lower surface of the latching element 4-2 and including the surface 46 functions to receive the J-shaped element to permit such locking of the gears in meshing relation to occur;

There is also provided a pair of solenoids 52 of any conventional form' which are fixed to the base 12 and have their armature shafts 54 pivotally secured to the reelsupporting elements 26. These solenoids 52 are separately connected to the electrical power source and are separately controlled by suitable switches (not shown) whereby neither, either or both of the reels may be positioned as in FIG. for driving by the motor 13.

Each of the latching elements 42 is provided with a downwardly curved portion 55 which has an aperture 56 at its distal end. Threaded through the aperture 56 of each latching element is the water ski tow rope associated with the power reel. It should be mentioned that each latching element 42 is secured to the shaft 40 centrally thereof and of the reel Bil associated t rerewith in order that the aperture 56 will always be arranged in a central location with respect to the reel.

Secured to the distal end of each tow rope is a suitable handle 57 for the water skier. Just adjacent to the handle 57, there is tied, in the tow rope, a knot 66 which can bear against a float 61 to cause the float to bear, in turn, against the downwardly curved portion 55 of the latching element 42 to pivot the latching element about the shaft 40 and to raise the surface -46 away from the J-shaped element 47. This action causes the respective reel to be pivoted by the spring 36 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 causing the respective gears 22 and-3'5 to move out of meshing relation. Thus, it can be seen that the latching element 42 provides an automatic device for stopping rotation of the reel when the winding thereof has been completed. It should be noted that clockwise pivoting of the respective reel about the axis 25 is limited by engagement of the surface 45 with angle 50.

Presumably, the present device will be operated in such a manner that the water skier will grasp the handle 57 and will swim out with the tow rope 65 with the respective reel associated with that tow rope in a disconnected clockwise position as in FIG. 4 so that relatively free rotation of the reel is permitted. When the skier has reached the proper distance at which it is desired to commence skiiing, the respective solenoid 52 associated with the respective reel is energized causing the parts to move to the position of FIG. 5. The inertia of the drive system including the motor locks the reel in position, or, by running the motor 13 in one direction or in a reverse direc-' tion, the length of the payed out portion of the tow rope may be varied. If it is desired to pull two Water skiers at one time and for the water skiers to crisscross their paths, one of the ski ropes is made longer than the other by disconnecting the respective reel associated therewith from the power source and by reconnecting that particular reel at such time as the proper distances of the water skiers is achieved. It can be appreciated that either of the reels may be disconnected from the power source at any desired time by merely striking the downwardly curved portion 55 of the latching element 42 to disengage surface 45 from the J-shaped element 47 and position the reel in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 From the above description, it will be obvious that the present invention provides a reel arrangement particularly adapted for use in reeling water ski tow ropes. It can also be appreciated that the present inventiouprovides highly eilicient means for quickly and easily adjusting the length of one or more of the tow ropes with respect to the other or others thereof to permit, for example, crisscrossing of the water skiers.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

For example, the present device might be modified in such a manner as to mount the reel arrangement in the front of the boat. The ropes in such a case possibly would be payed out and reeled in through tubing extending through the boat. in such a case, it should be noted that the knot 6d should be sufficiently small to pass through the tubing or conceivably, the rope could be damaged by the catching of the knot on the tubing. Alternatively, 'a limit switch might be provided at th exit and of the tubing to actuate a further solenoid to trip the latch element 4-2. I

The invention claimed is:

l. A base, a plurality of reel mounting elements pivoted on said base, a plurality of reels rotatably mounted on said reel mounting elements, drive means mounted on said base, a shaft rotatably mounted on said base and driven by said drive means, gears carried by said shaft and by said reels and capable of meshing by the pivoting of said reel mounting elements, means for pivoting said reel mounting elements to mesh said gears, resilient means acting between said reel mounting elements and said base and urging said gearsout of engagement, a

latching element secured to each-ofsaid reels and adapted to latch to said base to hold said gears in meshing relation, a rope connected to each reel and each having an elargement adjacent its distal end, said rope being threaded through said latching element, each latching element being proportioned and arranged to be disengaged by the striking of said latching element by said enlargement upon completion of winding of said reels t 2. A base, a plurality of reel mounting elements pivoted on said base, a plurality of reels rotatably mounted on said reel mounting elements, drive means mounted on said base, a shaft rotatably mounted on said base and driven by said drive means, spur gears carried by said shaft and by said reels and capable of meshing by the pivoting of said reel mounting elements, solenoids mounted on said base and having their armature shafts securedto said reel mounting elements for pivoting said reel mounting elements to mesh said gears, resilient means acting between said reel mounting elements and said base and urging said gears out of engagement, a latching element secured to each of said reels and adapted to latch to said base to hold said gears in meshing relation, a rope connected to each reel and each having an enlargement adjacent its distal end, each rope being threaded through a respective latching element, each latching element being proportioned and arranged to be disengaged by the striking of said latching element by said enlargement upon completion of winding of said reels.

3. A water skiing arrangement comprising a base, a plurality of reel mounting elements mounted on said base, a plurality of reels rotatably mounted on said reel mounting elements, drive means mounted on said base for rotating said reels, means for selectively connecting any number of said reels to said drive means, a rope connected to each of said reels, said selective connecting means providing rotation of particular reels so said ropes may be unwound to unequal lengths thereby providing means for accomplishing cries-cross water skiing, an enlarged member secured to each rope adjacent its distal end, and means for automatically disconnecting said selective connecting means, said disconnecting means being operated when engaged by said enlarged member upon winding a particular rope.

4. A water skiing arrangement comprising a base, a plurality of reel mounting elements mounted on said base, a plurality of reels rotatably mounted on said reel mounting elements, drive means mounted on said base :for rotating said reels, means for selectively connecting any number of said reels to said drive means, rope connected to each of said reels, said selective connecting 10 element secured to each of said reels and adapted to 15 2,956,778

latch said selective connecting means to said drive means while winding and unwinding said reels, said rope being disposed in close proximity to said latching element such that said enlarged member strikes said latching element and disengages it Efrem said drive means upon completion of winding of said reels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 225,909 Adams Mar. 30, 1880 1,205,178 Druschel Nov. 21, 1916 2,046,424 Palen July 7, 1936 2,899,925 Meek Aug. 18, 1959 Weide et al. Oct. 18, 1960 

3. A WATER SKIING ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A BASE, A PLURALITY OF REEL MOUNTING ELEMENTS MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A PLURALITY OF REELS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID REEL MOUNTING ELEMENTS, DRIVE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BASE FOR ROTATING SAID REELS, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING ANY NUMBER OF SAID REELS TO SAID DRIVE MEANS, A ROPE CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID REELS, SAID SELECTIVE CONNECTING MEANS PROVIDING ROTATION OF PARTICULAR REELS SO SAID ROPES MAY BE UNWOUND TO UNEQUAL LENGTHS THEREBY PROVIDING MEANS FOR ACCOMPLISHING CRISS-CROSS WATER SKIING, AN ENLARGED MEMBER SECURED TO EACH ROPE ADJACENT ITS DISTAL END, AND MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DISCONNECTING SAID SELEC- 